Clutch and pattern drum mechanism



Nov. 19, 1946. E. s1. PIERRE 2,411,303

CLUTCH AND PATTERN DRUM MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 19, 1946.

E. ST. PIERRE 2,411,303

CLUTCH AND PATTERN DRUM MECHANISM Filed June 23, 1945 5 SheetsSheet 2 fill/5152702. EK 1V5J%H v 4 Nov. 19, 1946. E. 81'. PIERRE CLUTCH AND PATTERN DRUM MECHANISM Filed June 23, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 JZZYEAZTdZE 55m? 3 Nov. 19, 1946. E. ST. PIERRE CLUTCH AND PATTERN DRUM MECHANISM Filed June 23, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 7.

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Nov. 19, 1946. E. ST. PIERRE CLUTCH AND PATTERN DRUM MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 25, 1945 Fld.

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[NI/5.111701?! E cENES 35 B v wiy Patented Nov. 19, 1946 CLUTCH AND PATTERN DRUM MECHANISM Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. I., assignor t Hemphill Company, Providence County, R. I.,

a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 23, 1945, Serial No. 601,296

10 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in mechanism for operating the clutch .and pattern drum or drums of a knitting ma-- chine particularly of the circular independent needle type such as the well-known Banner machine.

Heretofore it has been customary to affix the clutch drum and one or more pattern drums to the same shaft. T operate the clutch it has been necessary to rotate the clutch drum the equivalent of four moves of the pattern drum.

Consequently, each time clutching was performed at least three pattern drum moves were lost. A

total of twelve to sixteen moves for each revolution of the pattern drum were wasted in this way. By this invention the loss of pattern drum moves through clutching is reduced to one per operation and the operation of the pattern drum is made independent of the clutch drum at all other times unless the clutch drum is also used as a pattern drum for certain special operations.

The form of the invention selected for description herein is designed for the Banner type, independent needle, knitting machine but the invention is not so limited because it may readily be adapted to other types of knitting machines.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a part of a knittin machine illustrating the clutch drum, the pattern chain and its sprocket and a pattern drum together with their operation mechanisms and also the clutch operating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation illustrating particularly the clutch drum, ratchet and pawl, the

clutch operating mechanism and the means whereby the pawl is controlled;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of the mechanisms of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the pattern drum ratchet and pawl and the pawl operating mecha- Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the pattern chain ratchet, its operating mechanism, the pattern drum' operating pawl and the means for controlling this pawl;

Fig. 6 is a view alsoillustratin the pattern drum pawl and its controlling means in another position;

Fig. '7 is a detail of the pattern chain and its relation to the pawl controlling mechanism under certain conditions;

' Figs. 8 and 9 are a side elevation and plan view respectively of an auxiliary control device for the clutch drum pawl; and

2 Fig. 10 is a developed view of the clutch ratchet, drum and clutch cams.

As shown in Fig. 1 the invention includes a clutch drum l provided with eight clutch operating cams 2 and 3 intwo sets. A clutch operating lever 4 is so pivoted as at 5 that its end 6 will follow the track provided by cams 2 and 3. Ordinarily, when the end 6 of clutch lever 4 ison a cam 2, the clutch is shifted to cause the machine to knit in a rotary manner. When the. end

, 6 of clutch lever 4 is riding upon a cam 3 the clutch is reversed so that the machine is reciprocating.

The nature of theclutch is too well known to require detailed description. It is generally shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as consisting of a clutch member I and operating mechanism including a yoke 8 and a shifting rod 9 pivotally connected to the end it of clutch lever 4 whereby the clutch is shifted. Ordinarily, clutching occurs four times during the knitting of a stocking-at the beginning and end of the heel and. at the beginnin and end of the toe. Since the pattern drum shown herein provides for eight clutching operations, only one-half of one revolution of the clutch drum is required for a stocking. This makes it possible to utilize the clutch drum for other purposes such as tipping. In such case, the cams are altered to provide four clutching operations per revolution, the reciprocatory clutching operation being extended through the normally intervening rotary period. Yarn change levers such as those indicated at H may then be operated by suitably positioned rows of cams (not shown) on the clutch drum to effect the necessary yarn changes.'

As usual, the clutch drum is rotated by a pawl l2 (Fig. 2) mounted upon the quadrant shaft 13 and adapted to engage clutch drum ratchet l4. When in operation each working stroke of this pawl will rotate the clutch drum suificiently to efiect a full clutching operation, i. e., from rotary to reciprocatory motion or vice versa. Ordinarily, this is the equivalent of four moves of the pattern drum and, heretofore, since the pattern drum has been attached to the same shaft as the clutch drum, it has resulted in a loss of at 1 least three pattern drum moves.

per working stroke which is the equivalent of one or two moves of the pattern drum.

The machine is also provided with the usual pattern chain sprocket 20 and pattern chain 2| turned at a constant rate by means of ratchet 23 and pawl 22 which is operated from quadrant shaft 13 by suitable mechanism such as that shown in Fig. .5. Pawl 22 isso arranged that .it will move the pattern drum the distance of one tooth of ratchet 23 per workin stroke.

The pattern chain is adapted to carry the usual lugs by means of which it is able to control various operations of the machine. .Associated with the pattern .chainsprocket 20 so as to be engageable by such lugs is :arock lever 24 attached to a shaft 25 rotatably mountedin suitable bearings and having an extension proj ecting towards clutch drum sprocket I 4 and having affixed at this end another rock lever 26.

The tail 21 of rock lever 26 is provided with a depending hook 28 (Fig. 2) which passes under the forward end of pawl 2. Whenever a pattern chain lug passes under rocker 24 it will lift that end of the rocker and, consequently, depress the other end an amount dependin upon theheig'ht of the lug. If a low lug such as 29 shownin Fig. 7 passes beneath rocke 24, the tail 3!] of this rocker'will be depressed sufficiently to permit pattern drum pawl It to engage with its ratchet l! to turn it and, consequently, th pattern drum to the "extent "of one tooth which is ordinarily equivalent to a single move of the pattern drum. 'Since rockers 2'4 and 26 are connected together as already described, the tail 2! of rocker 26 will be similarly depressed. There- .fore, pawl I2 which operates the clutch drum ratchet M will be lowered but'not enough 'to'permit'the pawl to engage with the ratchet. Consequently, the -clutch-drum remains inactive.

If a. higher pattern chain lug such as that shown at 3| in Fig. '7 passes under rocker 24, the tail 3!) of that rocker will be depressed sufficiently to-causeipawl 16 to operate pattern drum ratchet to the extent of two teeth per throw or the equivalent of two moves of the pattern drum.

The equivalent lowering of tail 2'! of rocker 26 permits pawl l2 to engage with'and turn clutch drum ratchet l4. As already stated, the movement'o'f pawl l 2 when in operation is sufficient to rotate ratchet M and, consequently, clutch drum l a full clutching operation which is ordinarily the equivalent of four moves of pattern drum I5. However, since the pattern drum is turned by its own pawl 16 the equivalent of two moves, the

other two moves which heretofore would have i It sometimes happens that a 'still'higher pattern chain lug such as-shown at 32 in Fig. 7 is used for a special purpose or because it happens to 'be available. rocker 24 it would depress tail '30 of this rocker and also tail 2? of rocker 26 still more. This would not affect the rate of rotation of pattern drum I5 because its pawl is arranged to turn it at a maximum rate of two teeth per throw. However, clutch pawl 12 would also be lowered into operating position so that-clutching would occur,

When such a lug "passes under pull the pattern chain around by hand .to reduce the timerequired to reach a certain point of the knitting where some difiiculty may have appeared. This changes the timing of the pattern chain so that clutching would occur at the wrong time. Tomake this impossible under any conditions the mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is provided. This consists of an additional drum 33 rigidly attached to the same shaft as pattern drum l5. Consequently, these two drums will turn together. Drum 33 is provided with lugs 34 arranged in a corresponding manner to cams 2 and 3 on clutch drum 1. A pawl 35 is operated by cams 34 and is provided with an extension 36 which has a pin 37 under-lying clutch drum pawl t2. Whenever pawl 35 is raised by a cam 34 clutch pawl i2 cannot move into operating position. Therefore, since drum Mend pattern drum 'must turn togetheniit is absolutely impossible for clutching to occur at an improper time no matter what has happened tothe pattern chain and-no'matter -what the adjustment is of rockers 24 and 26,

I claim:

1. A mechanism for a knitting machine which consists of a pluralityof drums capableof independent step by step rotation, means for independently rotatingone of said drums through :a givenlangle per step, means for independently rotating another of saiddrums through a smaller angle per step and cornmonmeans forlcontrolling both of said rotating meanssothat one, both or neither of said drums is rotated as described above,

2. ,A mechanism for .aknitting machine which consists of a plurality .of drums capable of independent stepby step rotation, means for rotating one of said drums through a given. angle per step, means for rotating another of said drums through a smaller angle .per step and common means for controlling both of .said rotatingmeans so that-said last mentionedtdrumalone is rotated or both of said drums arerotated-atsaid different angular step by step speeds or neither .of said drums is rotated.

3. A mechanism ..for .a knitting machine according to claim -2 in which the means for-operatingthe common controlmeans-is an independently operated pattern chain.

4. A mechanism for .a knitting machine according to claim 2 which also includes lock out means for rendering inoperative the rotating means of said first mentioned drumindependently of said common control means.

5. A mechanism for a knitting machine ,according to claim 2 which includes lockout means for rendering inoperativethe rotating means of saidfirst mentioneddrum independently of said common control means without affecting the control of said common control means .upon the operating means of said first mentioned drum.

6. A mechanism fora knitting machine which consists of a clutch drum and a pattern drum, each of said drums being capable of independent step 'by step rotation, means for rotating said clutch drum through a given angle per step,

means for rotating the "pattern drum througha smaller angle per step and common means :for

controlling both said clutch and pattern drums so that said pattern drum alone is rotated or both said clutch and pattern drums are rotated at said difierent angular step by step speeds or neither of said drums is rotated.

7. A mechanism for a knitting machine according to claim 6 in which the means for operating the common control means is an independently operated pattern I chain.

8. A mechanism for a knitting machine according to claim 6 which also includes a third drum rotatable with said pattern drum and having means for rendering inoperative the clutch drum rotating means independently of said common control means.

9. A mechanism for a knitting machine which consists of a plurality of drums capable of independent step by step rotation, means for rotating one of said drums through a given angle per step, and through a greater angle per step, means for rotating another of said drums simultaneously with the rotation of said first mentioned drum through said greater angle per step and common means for controlling both of said rotating means as above described and for preventing the rotation of both of said drums.

10. A mechanism for a knitting machine according to claim 9 which also includes lock out means for rendering inoperative the rotating means of said last mentioned drum independently of said common control means.

EUGENE ST. PIERRE. 

